Guilt Becomes Her
by Klaroline-Fantasies
Summary: When Caroline kisses Klaus, she realizes she can't just let him die...but she wasn't prepared for the consequences... For Klaroline Rewind Day 2


**Hey I'm late I know, I've been working on this whole day. It's long as hell so!**

**I'd like to put some disclaimers for this particular story:**

**I don't know the personality of the twins or Hope**

**I don't know the personality of Freya**

**I don't know much of anything in the Cities or Countries mentioned.**

**This is just me writing something that was in my head and didn't wanna leave.**

* * *

Caroline approached the hybrid where he stood. There was a calm defeat in his stance, as though he just wanted to savor what was left of his life till the end. Her heart throbbed in pain at the sight.

She looked at him; a small—very small smile appeared on her lips as she watched him, watching hope dance with some guy. He looked like a serial killer planning the death of his next victim.

"Don't worry" he reassured her, as if knowing her thoughts "I'll behave myself" he gritted out softly.

She wanted to laugh, he looked like a regular father who wanted to protect his little girl from the big bad wolf—_oh the irony…_

She looked at the sight of Hope and she took a breath. She does remind her of Klaus is some ways. It was truly a sad thing for her to lose her father.

"Thank you…" she heard him say, she turned her head to look at him "…for allowing your daughters to be involved in this mess" she saw him look away for a quick moment before boring his eyes back onto her as he quietly adds "For trusting me"

She turned back to look at hope, a moment in her life came back to her then.

"Years ago, when the girls were really little, I was in trouble. I was scared, I just, I put the girls in the car and I drove" she turned to him then "And I ended up in New Orleans…looking for you" the way he gazed into her eyes with wild surprise, like he wished she had found him back then…a part of her wished the same "You weren't there, but…but the point is…I think a part of me has always known…" she looked into his eyes, and she saw the man she saw when they last saw each other all those years ago, when Katherine was meant to die, eyes filled with hope and longing, glistening for her "You weren't the villain in _my_ story"

She saw how surprised he was by her words, like he felt he was always the villain in everyone's story and now, someone has proven him wrong. She watches as his mouth opens, as if wanting to say something but his voice was lost. This was a part of him she saw with their encounter in the woods. He was wildly passionate, she could see it in that moment, many things wanted to be said but he couldn't seem to bring voice to those things.

He looked away; she could hear his heart beating frantically against his chest. She had awakened something, she knew she did. Her heart matched his. She knew what he wanted to do. This moment reminded her of their last encounter in Mystic Falls. She didn't know what to say with her words that would give him what he wanted—what they both wanted. Words had escaped her back then. She was given a free pass to do whatever she wanted with him and there would be no repercussions to her actions because he would not be around…he was never coming back, and if he was never coming back, she wanted to do something she's always wanted to do, so she kissed him. They shared moments where they almost fell into each other and she would pull away, especially now. She should pull away if he makes an advance…he was going to die…she couldn't.

But just because she couldn't, doesn't mean he couldn't.

His head collided with her and their lips met for the first time in so very long. A spark she was trying to avoid had ignited in her and she inhaled, dragging her body closer to him. His arms wrapped around her waist under her coat and her arms grasp the sides of his face. His soft plump lips molded together against hers as they engaged in a dance long forgotten, yet all so familiar to them. His body was so warm and welcoming; she just wanted to sink deep into him and just breathe him in forever. His lips slid against hers so softly, yet stuck to each other as though never wanting to be parted again. Her heart sang with joy yet raced with terror…the bell tolls and she is struck with a reminder that he's going to take the dark magic into him and die.

They pull away from each other, but their foreheads stay connected. They pant for air they didn't need while looking lovingly into each other's eyes. She knew her eyes had pain in them; she couldn't hide it even if she tried. She should've pulled away; she should've rejected his advance. She needed to leave…

"I—I think we need to get back to the school, it's time"

She pulled away first, and attempted to compose herself, just until she left.

_Wait till you're far enough…_

He looked away, she looked at him, she knew he couldn't look at her…she knew because if he turned to look at her now, she would have to look away.

"We'll be right behind you; she can have the next five minutes dancing"

She nodded and waited a moment before walking away. She needed to keep walking, her breathing was getting shaky, her hands were trembling, her body felt cold as ice. She froze; she turned to look at him once more. She could tell he knew she was still there. He didn't even turn to glance back at her. He was much stronger than she was.

* * *

When she was sure she was away from him, she fled. Her heart raced with terror, her legs were wobbly, but she ran as fast as she could. She found herself very deep in the forest when she stopped. She looked around frantically, her cheat heaved for air.

Her back found a tree and she fell to the ground. Her eyes burned with tears she had been holding back since she found out he planned to die.

**"It would be impossible not to notice you, Caroline"**

_He was going to die._

**"I intend to be your last love, however long it takes"**

_He lied to me_

**"I know that you're in love with me. And anybody capable of love is capable of being saved"**

_I'm going to lose him._

**"Is that our thing?"**

_Oh god_

**"I wanna talk about you. Your hopes, your dreams, everything you want in life"**

**"I fancy you, is that so hard to believe?"**

"No…No… No…No… No…No…" she mumbled as tears streamed down her face and her hand flew to her mouth to collect her choked sobs. She used her other hand to clutch her stomach as the pain of what she was about to lose finally set in.

First she lost Tyler, then Stefan and now Klaus. It's like she's doomed to never have love.

Just when she thought—when she believed—that he's immortal, he can't die. When they happen, she won't lose him. He can't die so she can't lose him.

But she's losing him…

And she can't stop him, because he's doing it for his daughter, he's doing a good thing and being a good parent and he's doing the right thing and she can't stop him, because if roles were reversed, she'd do the same thing, and she won't want someone to stop her…

She's going to lose him and there was no time to find another way.

_Wait; didn't Hope have an aunt who's a witch?_

The Mikaelson's who were in town was staying at their old mansion. Maybe she could take a quick detour there.

With that in mind, she wiped her tears. She stood shakily from off the ground and dusted herself off. She cleared her throat and combed her fingers through her hair. She has lived, just as old as Klaus has. She should know something—anything.

* * *

When she made it to the mansion, she knocked. When a blonde woman opened the door, at first, before even seeing the face, she assumed it was Rebekah, but it was not. This must be Freya.

"You're the headmistress right? Caroline?"

Caroline nodded shakily; her breaths came out slightly hurried "Can I come in?"

Freya raised her eyebrow at her with a smirk and folded her arms across her chest "You're a vampire and this house technically has no owner, you don't need an invitation"

"I know" Caroline snapped. When she realized what she did, her expression turned regretful "I'm sorry, I—I just—I wanna talk to you about something"

Freya frowned and dropped her arms "Come in"

Caroline walked in and Freya closed the door behind her. They went to the parlor room—she called it that and took a seat.

"What do you need to talk to me about? Is it about Hope? How's she doing—?" Caroline cut her off.

"It's not about Hope, Hope is fine" Caroline quickly assured her.

Freya straightened, and then leaned back "What is it you wanna speak to me about then?"

Caroline paused. This girl is his sister, maybe she has thought about everything.

But if that's true, she has nothing left to lose if she were to ask.

"Klaus is going to take the dark magic inside of him and kill himself, is there any way, anything, anything at all you could possibly think of that could prevent Klaus from not dying?"

Caroline was expecting many things. She expected her to tell Caroline that she had thought of everything and tried what she could and nothing's going to work, she hopefully expected her to tell her no but suddenly come to a realization of something in her past that might be helpful, if only to buy them more time…she didn't expect her to be shocked.

"Klaus is going to do what?" she exclaimed and stood up.

Caroline dropped her head "You didn't know"

"Of course I didn't know! How is he even going to get the dark magic inside of him?" she was pacing now.

"My daughters are Siphoner witches" Caroline replied, hoping she won't have to explain how their magic worked, because she only knew the basics of it. The complexities died with the remainder of the coven.

Realization hit the witch's face "Of course he found himself some siphoner witches too! He should have told us, we could have found a way—"

"Can you?" Caroline asked, standing up immediately "Find a way?"

"Well—wait, why do you care if he takes the magic in him or not?"

Caroline stuttered at her question. The answer was too complex to get into details right now anyways so seriously, Freya's priority needs to change.

"I'll explain it later—"

Caroline was interrupted by a familiar voice she never thought she would hear again.

"She's in love with him" Elijah answered Freya, entering the room in a flash of wind.

Freya looked between Caroline and Elijah "What happened between them?"

Elijah was about to answer but stopped himself when he saw the blonde's being.

"Seriously!" she shrieked, annoyed "I'm right here and my ears work perfectly"

"Apologies, Miss Forbes" he slowly approached her "Your daughters plan to remove the magic from Hope and turn it to Niklaus so he may die and kill it with him?"

"Yes, that's the stupid—yet noble plan he came up with. Can anyone think of a substitution please…anything?"

Freya frowned and Caroline knew "There's nothing, we've been dealing with this threat for a while and when we tried to share the burden and separate, she took it back so we could all be together"

Caroline felt a pang in her stomach. Her heart rammed against her chest and she began to breathe in short breaths.

"So there's nothing?" she trembled, eyes welling with fresh tears.

When Freya shook her head shakily at her, confirming the words she was hearing

Elijah and Freya watched as she slowly broke apart in front of them. Elijah smiled sadly. He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders to gain her attention.

"You care for him deeply, yes?"

She was too much in a panicked state to bother denying it or even complicating it. She nodded.

There was a pause in the atmosphere and then Elijah turned to Freya "We will go and stop Niklaus from doing this. I take the hollow in his stead"

Freya's eyes grew wild with panic "No, out of the question"

He released Caroline's shoulders and made his way to his sister "Freya, allow me this"

"What about—"

"Freya, this is my one chance" he paused, before continuing "This is the moment I have waited for, for over a thousand years. Our family has been daggered, cursed, chased around the planet, tested, tried; we have had many allies, countless adversaries, we have loved and we have lost." he grabbed his sister's hand and smiled at her with tears welling in her eyes "My one goal, my true purpose in this life, was to bring my family whole; to find Niklaus's redemption and make him a better man. Much has changed about him…and if my sacrifice not only saves my family, but gives Niklaus the one thing that has always eluded us both, then I will gladly face death"

* * *

Elijah, Freya and Caroline all agreed that telling Klaus was not in their best interest if the goal is to save him to begin with. Elijah made peace with everyone, especially his wife. Before they arrived at the Boarding house, Freya went on to talk to the girls and tell them the change in plans…which left Caroline with Elijah…

"A part of me should not allow you to do this" she began. She remembered how lost and confused Klaus had been when he talked about Elijah's past condition.

"But the other part of you would rather allow me to do this over the alternative solution" he reminded her with a small smile.

She stopped and turned on her to him with frustration "It's just—when I saw him in Paris, he looked so lost and confused—_normal crazy_—but, he just looked like a wandering being, like—" she gave him a knowing look "— like he always had the devil on one shoulder and the angel on another, and the angel was gone, but he's still staring at the angel's shoulder, wondering what to do next. That's how lost he was without you"

Elijah grabbed her hand in his and enclosed it with his other hand "With you by his side, he won't require to look on the angel's shoulder…he'll just know what the right thing to do" he then looped her arm around his and urged them to continue walking "Besides, it would be nice to see Katerina and my youngest brother again"

Her eyes grew wide by his words as she turned her head to him "Seriously? Don't you have a wife?"

He smiled and looked down "Whom I love dearly, but why end a relationship over the dead?" he looked at her then "Many have lost spouses, fell in love once more and remarried. That never meant they would not welcome death to return to their love"

Caroline turned back forward and kept silent then. He was right. If positions were reversed, she would be less afraid to die, knowing what will happen when she does.

They arrived at the spot in the woods near the boarding house. The twins and Freya already prepared everything and Klaus and Hope was there waiting. Once everything had been done, it was just a waiting game for the full moon.

Caroline didn't tell Alaric about the plan or the twin's involvement because she knew he wouldn't agree, moreover, she knew that it would waste time. He would say no, they would spend the afternoon, evening and night arguing about it until she made him see how safe they would be and eventually he would agree but it would be too late and the hollow would have devoured Hope by then. She was wrong and she knew that, but after they remove the magic, she would get the twins out as quick as possible—and also be gone when Elijah does die. Klaus would be devastated and as different as he is now to the person he used to be, which can change as quick and easy as flipping a switch.

When her transformation started, Caroline wanted to get as far away as possible. She was a werewolf about to turn, Caroline has too much weird memories—not bad ones—with getting bitten. Even if the cure was standing right there, the pain alone is enough to desire to avoid it altogether. Yet she had to make sure the girls were safe.

Caroline and the others were moved by Klaus's speech to Hope as she turned. Klaus told her as a tribrid, there's a chance that like him, she'll also know who she is and what she is as the wolf and have control over it, but he emphasized the fact that there might be a chance, rather than an assurance.

When the girls began the hollow floated out of Hope, everything else happened so fast it was almost a blur.

Alaric arrived and approached Caroline, looking pissed off at Caroline, she knew she would deal with that after.

The Hollow that was meant to go into Elijah, was fighting the magic being done to it. It eventually broke away and went straight for the twins. Hope had been long gone in her wolf form, too far for the hollow to follow without fizzling out.

Caroline saw where the dark magic was heading and she flashed and moved the girls out of the way.

When she was sure they were safe, she turned, thinking it went to Elijah instead.

She watched in horror as it flew inside of Alaric. She screamed out. The girls were horrified, but Caroline told them to stay put and she flashed towards him.

He fell to the ground in pain, the red veins was quick spreading throughout him. He was human, his form couldn't hold the magic for long and the siphoning potion they needed to remove the magic was done.

Caroline knelt beside him, apologizing over and over as tears rolled down her cheeks like a river.

He was gasping for air and seemed to be in pain "Hope called and thanked me for allowing my girls to do what I didn't know they were going to do"

"I'm so sorry, I was going to tell you after—I wasn't trying to do anything behind your back—" he stopped her.

"I understand Care; I would have done the same, believe it or not"

"Okay, everything's okay, we just need to get the girls to whip up another bottle of the witch brew and we'll take it out of you" Caroline was a mumbling sobbing mess as she said those words, part of her believed that she would save him, but a part of her just knew.

"Care, you know there isn't enough time. It's burning through me quicker because I'm human; I'm going to be consumed by it unless you kill me"

"No, Alaric, No!"

"Caroline you have to! If this thing consumes me, it'll go after the girls, it'll go after Hope. This thing is not touching my girls. Care, kill me please" he choked, his voice growing hoarse.

"No, I can't take their father from them , Alaric" she looked around, everyone was looking at the scene in horror, the girls sobbing to the side "Please just—" she stood up, trying to think about what to do first, where to go to get the ingredients for the potion "Just hold on"

He grabbed her foot harshly and she looked down with a pained expression "Caroline there's no time. Bring the girls quick, I can't hold it in much longer"

She turned and called the girls. They wasted no time before they were on their knees, crying their little eyes out over their father.

"Listen to me, this magic is very old, very dark and very dangerous. It has to die and in order for it to die, I have to die—" the girls were going to interrupt him but he stopped them "I know, I know, you're going to miss your dad and you're going to be very sad for a while and you're going to be very angry at some people but it's not their fault. You guys are powerful and this magic wanted to consume you and I am your father and I will protect you, always. Mr. Mikealson wanted to do the same thing for Hope as I am. But your mom is going to be by your side for as long as you'll have her. She's not going to age or anything like that. You will have what a lot of people don't, a parent who's literally going to live forever. She will be with you every step of the way. From the day you were born, till god forbid the day you will die. She will never abandon you…she's a neurotic control freak like that"

Caroline laughed through her heart wrenching sobs at the words she once heard from her late husband's.

"Caroline" she looked down at him while sobbing "If I know you the way that I do, I know what you were trying to do. After everything that's happened to you over the years, you deserve to be selfish and happy, truly happy" she smiled at him, she knew he knew what she was trying to do "But promise me they come first—" his words paused as he gasped, the veins taking root inside him.

The red veins were spreading to his face "Caroline quick, do it now!"

She couldn't, she couldn't, she shook her head, she couldn't "Ric, I can't—I—Ric No!"

"What's it going to be, me or them?"

Caroline snapped his neck.

The girls were uncontrollable, as he held onto their father's dead body, sobbing their little hearts out. Caroline grabbed them and cuddled them to her body as she too sobbed for the lost of their father.

Everyone else watched with horror, pain and sadness, especially Klaus. He broke his promise to her, he promised her that nothing would happen to her daughters and something happened because of him. They lost their father because of him, and they were hurt.

And yet, as much blame Klaus placed this tragic event to him-self, Caroline sobbed with so much pain and so much guilt as she knew deep in her bones that all of it was her fault. If she had told Alaric in the first place, he would not have died, she would have ran with the girls and let the Mikaelson's deal with the magic. She would not put her children in harm way. Lizzie and Josie lost their father because of her, because she wasn't responsible.

The veins the covered him began to turn grey and cracked, signaling that the hollow was finally dead.

Caroline and the twins stayed in their positions, sitting on the dirt holding Alaric's body in their arms as they were distraught by their loss.

"Oh my god" she cried out, looking at Alaric's lifeless body in her daughter's arms.

Suddenly, she bit into her wrist and opened his mouth and put her bleeding wrist against it, In the back of her mind she knew he was already dead and the process won't work. In her soul, she knew he was gone.

"Mom…" Josie choked out.

"Mom he's gone" Lizzie called to her.

She couldn't hear them, all she was listening for, was for any faint beat, something, anything!

When she came to the deafening realization of what she had done, in front of the children no less—despite having no other choice, she shuffled away from the body as her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes went wild in horror.

"Mom…" Josie called out.

Caroline looked to the girls and saw the absolute pain in their eyes, the tears on their cheeks, and their hold on their father's corpse. She did this. She killed him. She took their father from them.

With that, she flashed off, fleeing.

"Mom..." Lizzie cried out after her, but Caroline was gone.

Klaus was frozen in place, a look of horror upon his face. He was so stunned by the events, he couldn't even flinch.

* * *

When Elijah moved to help the girls carry their father inside the boarding house, he used that moment to flash off into the woods. He went in search of Caroline. He would have run after Hope, but Caroline was in more danger. Hope right now is the single most dangerous predator on the planet, and nothing or no one can touch her. Caroline can be bitten by Hope and he doesn't know what tribrid venom does, moreover, he's not sure if he's able to heal her with his blood should she get bitten.

He found her easily enough. He just followed her scent. What he found, was a very dark sight to see.

She was in an alley behind some club. Her head was buried in another man's neck. Her arms wrapped around the guy so tight, she might actually be crushing him. He can smell the blood. She was feeding off him. Perhaps she had changed; she might feed off humans now and knows when to stop.

But he can hear the guy's heartbeat weakening to a drastic level. He was almost dead and she didn't look like she was letting up.

"Sweetheart—" he began.

Her head lifted from the human and sharply turned around at the sound.

He stepped back at the sight.

Her mouth was smeared with blood. Her eyes were red, her eyes covered in veins and he could see her fangs dripping with blood, her curls framing her face.

If it had been any other day, and a tragedy such as the one that had recently took place hadn't happened; he would have found the sight of her to be stunningly ravishing.

However, her eyes were dead.

She turned back to the guy who was hanging on for his dear life and he watched as she finished him off, snapping the poor lad's neck when she was finished.

He watched as she tilted her head up to the sky and sighed heavily, savoring her meal. She turned to meet his horrified eyes with glints of mischief dancing in hers.

"I needed that, I was starving"

He quickly covered his horror with a look of determination as he marched over to her. He needed to know for sure before he just assumed. Perhaps she was simply upset and she is much more mature than the Caroline he knew when she was just 18. She might have given in more to her monstrous side over the years.

He grabbed her face and pulled her close to his, he looked into her eyes. They held nothing. No hatred, no frustration, no sadness, no nothing.

When she left them and fled, he assumed she needed time to herself to cry, to mourn the loss of someone that had been in her life. He expected her to be curled up in a ball somewhere in the forest sobbing her life out.

He never expected this.

He never expected her to turn her emotions off.

"Oh sweetheart, what have you done?"

She pushed his hand away and stood, using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe her mouth.

"I ate dinner" she shrugged "Like, reheating blood just doesn't taste the same when it's warm and fresh from the tap" she moaned.

"We can revisit that conversation when you're in a better state"

She smirked and walked seductively towards him, making sure there was a sway to her hips as she moved until she stood nose to nose with him.

"I'm glad you're not dead" he didn't get a chance to reply because her lips came crashing onto his.

Her kiss was different. Her lips were still soft and they still fit perfectly against his, but they had nothing in them. His body still reacted to her the way it always has, but he felt like he was kissing someone he never met before, this felt like a one night stand to him, unfamiliar territory.

He gently pulled his lips away from hers, careful not to come across as rejecting her. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"This isn't you love, you should turn it back on" he could feel her wanting to pull away from him "The girls—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because her hands went to each side of his face and his word went black.

* * *

When he woke, he was in the woods. He looked around, searching for her.

_She snapped his neck._

His eyes darted around, as his hand went around his neck to sooth the pain.

_She snapped his neck!_

It's a difficult feat for vampires five times her age alone, to catch him off guard to attempt such a thing. Elijah had to catch him in between the moment of transitioning into a hybrid in order to ram his hand into his chest to reach his heart. If the situation was different, he'd be laughing.

His hand glided along his torso and his fingers brushed against a paper. He looked down and found a folded paper lying on his stomach. He picked it up. It has his name on the front. It was from Caroline, he knew it was. He also saw a necklace near it. He picked it up, it was her necklace. The ring she received from Stefan from his proposal.

_Klaus,_

_ If you want the old Caroline…she's gone and she's never coming back. If you want the new and improved version, you can find me easily enough. Don't try to turn me back. Tell the girls their mother need time to grieve. If you make them find me to turn me back I will kill them, and if that does trigger my switch to turn on…the vicious cycle repeats itself…_

_ C.F_

Klaus folded the paper and placed it and the necklace in one of his pockets. He flashed off to the boarding house, hopefully he'll find his brother and sister there and he can tell them what has happened so he could tell him of his plans.

When he arrived, everyone was still there.

Alaric's death body—which had gone stiff by now—was lying on the floor; his body was covered. The twins were on the couch, cuddled in each other's embrace, eyes still red with strain from crying. He had taken not one, but both parents from the children.

"Niklaus" he turned at the sound of his name to Elijah "Did you find Hope?"

He shook his head "I never went looking for her" at those words, his brother raised an eyebrow at him "Hope is the single most powerful being on earth, I think she's fine"

"Well I'm glad she's fine" someone spat.

Both Originals looked to find Lizzie standing in front of them, venom glistening in her eyes.

"Lizzie…" Josie tried but the blonde ignored her.

"Because my father is dead, and it's your fault"

Klaus took a step back, stabbed with the cold hard truth right in his gut.

"Dad was right" Lizzie then said softly, defeat coloring her tone "Wherever the Mikaelson's go, death follows"

Klaus's head drops momentarily. They were right. Wherever he goes, he leaves a pile of bodies in his wake, a quote he was never bothered by—till this moment. All he wanted was Caroline's help to transfer the magic from his daughter into him. It should have gone into him.

Elijah stepped forward "Allow me to explain what happened"

Lizzie's head snapped to the suited Mikealson "My dad died to protect us because your brother asked for our help. I should have said no"

Another knife to the gut, had they disagree to help him, Hope would be dead.

He quickly shook his head, ridding the thought from him.

Elijah decided to speak regardless "When Miss Forbes made this plan with Niklaus, soon thereafter; she came to my sister, Freya. She asked for any other alternative solution other than my brother's death to be rid of the curse. When it was made clear that such a feat could not be done, I came and decided to take the hollow into myself in his stead"

Klaus's head snapped to Elijah "You what?"

Elijah ignored Klaus "But none of this information which I have given you is the reason why the events that should have transpired did not. The Hollow strayed from where it was meant to go and fought your magic because of your magic. It took me but a moment to figure it out. The dark magic could not return to its previous host, but could have consumed Niklaus and his Original Hybrid status, or it could have consumed me as an Original Vampire…but instead, it was drawn to two Siphoner witches. You see, this dark magic is drawn to power, and you both are two powerful Siphoner witches, who are able to take power from others, the hollow would not only be powerful just being inside of you and your sister, but it could take magic from others, becoming even more powerful and rendered unstoppable".

The girls were silent as they took in the information.

Josie got up from her from the chair to stand next to her sister.

"I know dad sacrificed his life for us, we were there. But it doesn't change the fact that he's gone because you wanted our help" she said, close to tears.

"If I was a regular witch I'd kill you"

Klaus looked away from the girls, close to tears. They were right. He is responsible for their father's death. He's also responsible for their mother's current condition.

As if they could read minds "Where's mom?"

He paused. He could very well tell them the truth that their mother isn't herself right now and needs time. They would want her back. But they would get themselves killed. Caroline has no emotions right now and by extension, no love for them in her state. A part of him doubts she would kill them, but another part of him knows she would. He also knows that the horror of what she would have done would flick her switch back on, but Caroline was right in her letter, she would switch it back off and it would be even harder to get her to put it back on. He was indeed a cruel man to take both their parents from him.

"She needs a bit of time to herself to grieve, rest assured she will return"

When the girls turned their backs to look at their dearly departed father, he flashed off.

* * *

**3 Months Later…**

**Sankt-Peterburg, Russia.**

Klaus has spent the entirety of three months shadowing Caroline.

The Morning after such a tragic day, Hope had returned to the Mansion and was filled in on what had transpired. Klaus told her to be patient with the girls and give them time. It then took him some days to find the direction she went. He was confused by it. He assumed she would have gone somewhere simpler, perhaps somewhere more local—at least Florida. Instead she went to Russia. It confused him.

He never saw the Siphoner twins after that night. They made it quite clear how they felt about him, and he couldn't blame them. They went from having a mother and a father that morning to having no one that night, because of him. If he had any other way, he would never have showed up in Mystic Falls. Perhaps, now he may never return.

He had been spending the entire year preventing her from killing—_too much._

He tried to catch all the people she would either drain or find herself in quarrel with. But she was able to end a couple of lives quicker than he could reach them. He knew when she turns it back on, she would be absolutely devastated by the carnage she left in her wake.

At first, she found it to be a game; but she soon got frustrated with him. Her last game made him realize why she chose Russia in the first place.

He had shadowed her into the Hermitage Arm Museum cautiously. He stayed generally close to the entrance and eyed the exit, while keeping his eyes on her.

When she attacked, he locked the doors and windows as quickly as possible. She had gone through too much people to allow others to escape, lest they spread the news of vampires in their midst.

Through the chaos, he heard the fire alarm scream through the building and he smelt the smoke. She had somehow set fire to the building.

In a blink she was in front of him, coated with blood "You can either save the building, or save the people—_since you care so much for them now_"

In a blink she was gone and he was left with a museum filled of dead, dying or terrified visitors and locals.

He made quick work to compel those who were tourists, and then he compelled the locals. The fire had reached them by then. Those who were fatally injured, he fed them his blood, compelled them and the ones who were dead by then he tossed them in the fire. He found all the security tapes, cell phones and any other video recording device and threw it in the fire. He got everyone out but the building went up in flames. No one knows what happened and the video files were destroyed in the fire. It made international news. That is not what pissed him off.

**_"Wait a second. Did—did you do these?" she asked, looking down at his drawings._**

**_"Yeah, actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"_**

**_"I've never really been anywhere" she replied softly._**

**_"I'll take you wherever you want" he smiled "Rome" he grinned, she blushed "Paris" he bent his head lowly as she laughed "Tokyo"_**

She burned his painting. She burned the building down to burn his painting.

When he found her that night, he wasted no time. He snapped her neck.

When she woke back up, she laughed at him_ "Now no one's really going to notice"_

After a couple of weeks, she grew more frustrated with him. He knew she did.

One night, he found a couple of vampires—_who was he kidding, it was almost two dozen of them_—looking to pick a fight with him. It was his lucky night because he had pent up frustrations he had been _dying_ to let out.

When he grew bored with the vampires, he severed their heads and went in search for Caroline. He found her collapsed on the couch in her hotel room as though the life was drained out of her. She somehow still found energy to smirk at him in a way that let him know she had something up her sleeve.

"You look unwell" he stated.

She shrugged "Draining your blood in the city's water supply will do that do you"

His facial expression fell instantly at her words.

"You didn't…" he hoped she didn't, he hoped she was bluffing. He could tell she wasn't. When Caroline comes back she will never forgive him for not stopping her from this. He knew that well enough.

"Oh but I did" she smiled and sat up—mustering all her strength he reckoned "You see, I want to kill people and you keep doing my dirty work so I have a proposition for you. Either you stop or I'll turn this entire city into vampires…A vampire epidemic they'll call it"

He smirked and walked further into the room "See, you underestimate me love, I can reach over to you and snap your neck like a twig and inject you with vervain till the end of time"

She pointed to him "You could, and that sounds like a really good plan" then she gave him a mockingly guilty look "But see, you want me to turn my emotions back on and you wouldn't rob two little girls of the only living parent they have left do you? Plus, I kinda—sorta already put a plan in motion, so if someone doesn't get a call from me in the next five minutes—give or take the amount of time I already wasted going tit for tat with you—then he'll make some calls to people in the city to beg them to drink the water, and I compelled like a bunch of people to break into other people's houses and kill them when they get a call. So I kinda need you to give me an answer now…I wonder how the world is going to react to vampires?" she then bit her lip.

Klaus stared at her, wide eyed. If this person had been hiding under Caroline's sweet persona, she had been holding out on him. Her plan was still flawed, but she had potential. He could compel her, the real Caroline would be none the wiser to his compulsion and he'd simply carry that secret to his grave.

Yet he knew he won't be able to see that look of horror and disappointment for compelling her.

So he decided to cave into her for now. Caroline would be devastated if he had allowed her to turn an entire city into vampires and made the world aware of vampires. Her plan only made him realize that he should search for ways to bring her back as soon as possible now. He had been giving her time to enjoy herself in this state. Turning your switch off was a rite of passage for vampires. He's never actually done it. She would be able to do things she would otherwise not do due to her morals. Now he can no longer give her such luxury.

* * *

**1 Month Later…**

**Rio de Janeiro, Brazil**

After their little square off in Russia, she suddenly felt the desire for South America. This landed him in Rio de Janeiro. He had been brainstorming on different emotions to pull from her to trigger her emotions back on. He thought about sad emotions, but those were what triggered her to turn it off to begin with. Then he thought about happy emotions. So Brazil was a good place to be now. Who doesn't love to vacation in Brazil?

Thankfully, Caroline doesn't seem that much concerned with killing. Since her arrival, she has been feeding and compelling. Perhaps their tit for tat sucked the fun out of it for her.

Over the weeks, she finds herself at the beach a lot. The bikinis were torture for Klaus. Naturally, a vampire's body doesn't change while being one. But Caroline had twins, and her body somehow changed. Her hourglass shape formed even more, giving her more hips. He would be tight with desire just watching her prance around in her little two pieces. He often thought she made her choice of clothing and her movements deliberately to punish him, or entice him.

She would go to clubs at night and party. She was always the life of the party. She reminded him of him-self before he arrived to Mystic Falls. He used to spend his time having parties and enjoying himself while his henchmen would do his dirty work and look for a doppelganger.

One night he was standing off afar, watching her as she ails a cab. One minute she disappeared, and the next he would find himself against a wall with her mouth attacking his. This was the second time she approached him like this.

He allowed himself a moment like this with her. Her hands were insatiable, her lips were thirst and her body was humming with want against him.

When she tried to unbuckle his jeans, he was kicked back into reality of who was attacking him and he stopped her hands from making further advances.

"Apologies love; it seems my loyalties lie with the real Caroline"

She huffed with a shrug and walked away, leaving him wanting for a quick solution to bringing back his Caroline. She might not have her emotions, but she's still the same person—despite him calling her fake. She's just what Caroline would be without emotions and a conscience, pure instincts and desires. This was the second time she 'jumped' him. Her emotions must be holding her back before…

* * *

**1 Month Later…**

**Las Vegas, Nevada**

Thankfully Caroline returns to the States and flocks where all vampires who lack their emotional compass usually go. She busies herself by gambling for a while. He just sits and enjoys her. In these moments, he sometimes forgets she's emotionless. She would win and you'd swear the sun was out.

It took her a week to earn over a million dollars.

Tonight she decided to stay in and binge eats. Usually, he would stay in the hotel she would be staying in. Caroline was smart enough to know that he's following her so he had no reason to hide. This time, he found himself using a neighboring hotel. Caroline stayed at Caesar's and he stayed at the Bellagio. He didn't need to keep close eye on her, not yet.

He's use to opening the door to his room—fined it to be empty—and heading straight to his shower.

When he opened his door on this particular night, he didn't find his room empty.

There were two familiar girls seated on the little stool at the foot of his bed.

He froze, slight horror, panic and caution.

He quickly covered his shocked—yet fearful expression with a smirk "Aren't you two resourceful"

The blonde haired girl—Lizzie—was about to speak but the brunette—Josie—held her sister's hand and spoke first "You said mom was coming back…and she hasn't come back"

This time, the blonde spoke—despite of her sister clearly not wanting her to

"Where is my mom? No lies this time"

He thought of telling them she still needed time. But ultimately, it's the truth they wanted and it's the truth they deserved.

He pulled a chair closer towards them, yet making sure to stay a decent enough distance from them. They blamed him for the tragedy that befell their family and they were right to.

"You have an extensive knowledge about vampires, correct?"

When the girls looked at each other, he realized it was going to be harder than anticipated.

He leaned forward, holding his hands together "A vampire feels emotions much stronger than humans do. As a result, negative emotions are more often than not worst. When you are angry, she will feel rage, when you are sad, she is in despair and emotions such as depression grief and loss can break you. Are you aware of what the vampire off switch is?"

Josie answered "Mom says when vampires feel very bad and painful emotions, they have a switch that they can flick and turn off their feelings. They won't feel anything"

Klaus nodded "That's right. So when your father passed—" he tried to ignore the pained expressions on their face "—I'm afraid your mother switched her emotions off"

Lizzie looked to Klaus and then to Josie "So she doesn't feel anything?"

"She feels nothing love. She doesn't feel happiness or sadness, anger or guilt. If she saw you right now she won't even care"

The girls gasped in shock but they had to know the truth, if they came all the way here, without supervision or parental consent, they obviously care about Caroline.

"Your mother turned her emotions off because she killed your father. Caroline is hyper aware of the fact that you are not her biological mother and fears that you hate her for what she had to do to save you. Irrational I agree, but that's just who she is"

The girls were silent as they took that information in.

"So how do we get her emotions back on?"Josie asked.

He stood then "'_We_' aren't doing anything. She has made it perfectly clear to me, that if she ever sees the two of you that she will kill you—" when he sees the horror on their face, he quickly tries to calm the situation "Remember, she doesn't love you right now because she has no emotions for you and will kill you as though you are a stranger. But the thing is, you are not a total stranger to her, you are her daughters and if she harms you in any way, her emotions will come back on, but the loss would be too much and she'll fall back into the off switch. Do you understand?" he was basically speaking to them as if they were adults, he had to ask if they understood.

They nodded, he straightened. They were brilliant like their mother. He sighed heavily.

A silence passed him and he sat back down, finding an opportunity to do something he should have done 5 months ago.

"I'd like to take this time to do something I should have had the courage to do long ago. I sincerely apologize in the part I and my family played in Alaric's passing. My intentions were honorable, please trust in that. All I wanted was to save Hope. I thought I would take the magic into me and give my daughter more time to live. I never expected the events that happened to happen. I also pledge my unwavering and absolute dedication towards returning your mother to you with her emotions, if it is the last thing I do…you have my word".

The girls were quiet as they held onto each other for dear life. He must have brought up painful memories of that day for them. He decided to distract them from it.

"I remember the first time I formally met your mother. She was dying from a werewolf bite"

He took a seat back on the chair he had been sitting on and he noticed that they too sat back down.

"Back then I was…different. I was indirectly responsible for that bite she sustained"

He smiled "It was her birthday. She thought I came to kill her. I suppose when a thousand year old vampire shows up on your death bed, you automatically think the worst. I would never kill someone on their birthday, I love birthdays" he then let out a laugh "She made a quip about me being a billion years old" he saw then the girls slightly smiled at that and he knew he should keep going "Werewolf bites are fatal to vampires you see, and being a hybrid, my blood is the cure. I remember I told her I could let her die, if she truly felt that her life held no meaning. I wouldn't force her to live. But I told her that there was a whole world out there, great cities, art, music, beauty right at your finger tips. She didn't want to die, perhaps my words convinced her to desire life. Perhaps she had already known she wanted to live before I arrived. I cradled her into my arms and fed her my blood and wished her happy birthday. I remember in the face of death, she didn't show me any type of weakness. Your mother was a resilient woman. She might have been afraid of me, but she dared not let me see it, she was a force of nature. I left her a birthday gift, it was a diamond bracelet" he then chuckled "She threw it at me some days after at a ball, but that's another story for another time" he was beaming with a smile as his mind wandered on his first's memories of her.

He then cleared his throat, alarming them back into reality "But I think it's time you two return home. Before your mother sees you and all hell breaks loose no?"

* * *

**1 Month Later…**

**Miami, Florida**

Caroline has found a new life's mission.

To torture him instead

When she compelled herself a seat to Miami, he had to laugh at himself. It was a thought he had when she disappeared to Russia. He supposes now she feels the desire for something simpler. When she reached, she found herself attending a night club. Of course he followed her, as he always does.

It wasn't long when she found herself attracting male attention. Caroline was a sexy woman, especially in her current state. With her inhibition out of the way she practically oozed it everywhere she goes.

She danced with one particular guy for most of the night and it irked him to no end. He found himself wanting to rip the man's arms off for touching her the way he was touching her…with no shame or tact.

It was as if she was torturing him.

It wasn't until after they had sex that night and he watched as the guy went on his way that he realized that was her intention all along. He killed the man, dragging him into an alley and snapping his neck. He would have opted for something more poetic but they've made more than enough News for one century.

He realized that she was going to keep sleeping with other men just to boil his blood with jealousy.

And it was working…

The way she would allow them to touch her…the way her eyes would flutter close in pleasure as they attacked her neck—as if they knew what they were doing—the way they would frantically rub against her as if they couldn't control themselves—weak men-the way she would hold them and touch them…often ways he would picture her touching him and holding onto him. He could hear her cries of pleasure. He was in the room next to hers. He would grind his teeth and growl in displeasure. She would call out to whatever god he doubts exits. He can practically taste her desire but he knows he'll never have it. His body would tremble in anger of the thought of her being with those weak men over him.

That's when he realized, she was doing it to spite him.

It actually brought a smile to his face and stroked his planet sized ego.

He told her—twice—that he would rather not have her as she is, so now she's determined to make him regret his decision. Perhaps even give into her.

He won't.

She knows this.

But she still kept trying.

Instead of torturing himself with the sounds of her crying out in pleasure, he opted for a hunt.

Not the kind that involved being in the forest, no instead he staked out a night club for an easy prey. Everyone seems to think him some monster to be killing humans like ants. His death toll within the last 6 months alone is equivalent to a decade's worth of bodies—if those years were relatively uneventful. She basically maxed out his body count until the 2030, if he truly thought about it.

He laughed to himself at that.

Suddenly his phone rang. Since he's been shadowing Caroline, his phone only rang very little number of times. Hope would call to check up on him—he felt it was more to make sure he was alive and sane—Elijah would call him every day for updates on his progress, his brother ranged this morning before he even had breakfast. Needless to say, a phone call at this point was likely to be an emergency.

He didn't recognize the number but he answered. He said nothing and waited for the person to speak.

_"Hello?" the voice called out._

It sounded like a little girl, not his daughter.

"Who is this?" he asked.

_"It's Josie, I'm—"_

"Caroline's daughter" he breathed out in surprise. He never expected to get a call from them at any point in time, at all. He apologized to them for their father's death but that didn't mean they were warm to him now. He told them a story but that didn't mean they were accepting of him. If he knew Caroline well enough and if they took from her as he would like to believe, they shouldn't be the type to easily forgive. If they are, who is he to look a gift horse in the mouth?

There was a silence before she spoke again.

_"Is she still…"_

"Yes, unfortunately she's still—" she cut him off.

_"Seriously!" she cried out incredulously "What's taking so long?"_

He paused, then, he laughed.

The memory their call long ago when she tried to reach her boyfriend—at the time. She made it quite clear that the babies weren't hers.

"Why are you laughing?" the little girl asked.

"My apologies sweetheart, your frustrations towards me reminded me of your mother"

There was silence on the other side.

"While your mother is quite dedicated to stay this way, I believe she misses her daughters terribly and desires to return; however fear will stand in her way for some time. I could easily compel her to turn it back on but the real Caroline won't want that"

It's not that he never tried—he never really tried—but he knows nothing he's thought of will work.

She knows he won't let her die so fear won't work. She has been having fun during her little gallivant around the world but perhaps happiness won't trigger her emotions, sadness is what started this in the first place. Using her daughters will only cause more harm than good. So he needed to continue brainstorming. He told her he won't try to turn her back, he never said he wasn't going to leave her in her current state. He will turn her back, he just won't fail trying, when he does it, it's because he knows the plan will work.

_"What was she like…when she was…younger I guess when you met her?" the girl asked. _

Klaus smiled, as memories of their past rolled through his mind like a collection of scenes of movies.

"When my mother rose from the dead—my family has this predilection for cheating death you see—she organized a ball of sorts to introduce the family to the community. I invited Caroline, I bought her a dress—I know she still has it; if you like you can go through her belongings to search for it. It's blue, very Cinderella-esque—and she showed up. Her father had passed recently as well. She was quite the dancer, when I complimented her, she proudly proclaimed her status as Miss Mystic Falls…something I made my business to know long before she had chance to say. She looked quite enchanting, like a dream. I remember moments when she would look at me, and I would find myself in awe of her beauty, easily the most magnificent women in the room. She somehow disappeared and I found her outside admiring a horse. She likes horses. She demanded that I tell her why I invited her or else she'd never speak to me again, so it's obvious I had to confess. I told her I fancied her, she found it hard to believe. I never knew why, was it because of how old I was compared to her or was it some deep rooted insecurity she had of not being the chosen one…perhaps we might never know. Later that evening I showed her a passion of mine, art. She quickly came to the conclusion that I drew all the art that lay before her. She confessed to never have been anywhere outside of the quaint Mystic Falls so I offered to take her. She saw right through my little charade and called me out with no fear. She then threw the bracelet I gave her for her birthday and left. I remember I was so livid with her, no one had dared speak to me like that and live to tell the tale…trust me, a part of me wanted to go after her, but I realized that she was right. That night I told her she was beautiful and strong and so full of light. Even at night sometimes when you're in her presence her being would beam like a beacon. By the end of the night I left her a note and a drawing of her, thanking her for her honesty. Whether she kept the drawings or the letter remains a mystery to me but if I know her as well as I think I do, she still has the dress. Perhaps one day you might wear it and look as breathtaking as she did"

The phone went silent for a long time. Klaus thought that perhaps the girl had hung up after, not wanting to have any further conversation with him.

_"Will she come ever back?" he heard her voice ask, ever so softly._

He smiled.

"Caroline doesn't exist without her emotions, and I'd also like to think that this is but a bump in her road. As much as she feels pain right now, being away from you two is soon going to be even more painful. She'll come back; I'll make sure of it"

There was some more silence before he heard her spoke.

_"Thank you" he heard her say "Not just for the story, but for being with her, I think I feel better knowing that she's not alone"_

She hung up.

He smiled.

* * *

**1 Month Later…**

**Madrid, Spain **

Why she was moving from country to continent was beyond him. There wasn't even a method to her madness. It's like she was just closing her eyes and picking somewhere to go on a map.

Her plan to coax him into her bed had kicked up a notch when he noticed she was dressing more provocatively. From the miniskirts, to the crop tops, to the short dresses and the plunging necklines, it should be law to test a man's patience or composure like this. He thought the worst was over when she left Brazil but this was worst.

In Brazil, she never indulged in any men, she just partied, and sure guys noticed her because it's hard not to notice her, but she never gave them too much attention, but here, they flocked to the blonde tourist like a moths to a flame and being the tease that she is, she welcomed them with open arms, all the while, making eye contact with him…showing him just who her punishment was meant for.

A week later she crossed the line of all lines.

She went on a date—yes; she actually went on an actual date—well it was more like brunch. He knew it was a whole set up for him. The idiot kept rambling about himself and Caroline pretended to be interested. After a whole hour of them both listening to the man talk about his whole life, the couple decided to go on a drive, that drive took them through a long stretch of road that was surrounded by forest. He wasn't about to actually follow them in a car because he's much faster that that excuse for a vehicle that boy calls a car.

Suddenly they stopped at the forest and she pulled the guy out of the car. They ran like two teenage high schools that were up to no good through the wet forest. He had no idea what she was up to, but if she wanted to kill him, she didn't need to bring him in the middle of nowhere like a serial killer.

What he found…

_"As soon as we're done here, I'm going to walk away and I'm never coming back. You'll never again have to look me in the eye and cover our connection with hostility or revulsion, and you'll never have to loathe the darkest parts of you that care for me, in spite of all the things I've done. I will be gone and you will be free. I just want you to be honest with me" the boy recited like he was reading a script._

She paused, because that's what she did when he did say those words; he remembered it to be the world's longest moment of silence.

_"I'm in college. I'm building a life for myself. I have plans; and a future; and things that I want and none of those things involve you, okay, none of them." She said, her acting skills coming into play. She kept glancing at him, taking in his cold expression with a look of victory in her eyes._

He knew exactly what she was doing.

_"I see" the boy then replied._

_"No you don't. Yes, I do cover our connection with hostility because yes I hate myself for the truth. So if you promise to walk away, like you said and never come back, then yes…I will be honest with you. I will be honest with you about what I want"_

There were no emotions in her words. She was mocking that moment. This was the negative part of Caroline with no emotions…she was genuine moments between them that he shared and turning them against him. He never imagined Caroline would ever use do such a thing, but he never envisioned a woman as strong as she was would never turn to her emotional switch.

_The boy stepped towards her as her little charade kept on "I will walk away and I will never come back. I promise"_

Caroline slowly approached the boy; she reaches inches away from his face, as she had done so long ago.

She didn't get to continue her little game, because Klaus flashed towards them and pulled the boy's heart from his chest. He fell to the ground in front of her and frowned.

"Seriously, you didn't have to kill him; he was going to be—"

He kissed her.

He kissed her with all the desire he's had for her the moment he began to shadow her. Then he pulled away.

"Either you fuck me or you leave me alone, because this shadowing thing is starting to tick me off" she panted against his lips.

He grabbed her jaw roughly and his eyes glowed yellow, the cold stare he had from her little performance returning "If you think you can chase me off sweetheart be my guest. You'll never be rid of me until you turn it back on" his eyes reverted back to its blue orbs "That kiss wasn't meant for you, it was meant for the version of you I prefer"

She growled at him, showing him her fangs and her dark eyes in defiance,

"Don't pout love, it was a valiant effort"

He walked away from her after that.

She spent a couple more days trying to torture him, but it irked him less knowing her true goal.

He heard his phone ring, it was Hope.

"Hello love"

_"Dad, I'm starting to think you're not trying anymore"_

He placed a hand on his chest—as if she would see him mocking her "You wound me love"

_"It's been like 7 months and she's still not back yet, people are starting to ask questions, she runs a school, remember?"_

"Elijah can deal with those people easily enough" he dismissed.

Elijah had taken up position as headmaster in Caroline's absence. He told his brother that it was not his responsibility but Elijah was adamant.

_"Yeah, well they want her, they don't trust how out of the blue our family just came and took everything over"_

"Why must people think Elijah represents the family, my reputation made this family" Klaus sighed.

_"Dad, Aunt Freya is teaching witchcraft, Aunt Rebekah and Elijah's wife is doing paperwork and meetings in Caroline's place. I tried to get them to back down but they said they're staying until Caroline doesn't need them anymore. They kinda feel responsible for everything that happened"_

Klaus smiled at that.

_"Everyone keeps telling me that you and Caroline share some kind of epic thing"_

"Kol is too old for high school gossip" he knew Kol well enough to be the one saying those things.

"Can you tell me about her?"

He raised his eyebrow. It was if she had been talking to the brunette twin.

Nevertheless "As you well known back then I was the villain so being my ever charming self, she said something that hurt me and I bit her. She was in pain, that much I could tell but even in the face of death yet again, she was resilient. She showed no fear and she didn't beg me to save her. She asked me why I did the things that I did, I told her I was bored" he then laughed "She saw right through that, said I was hurt and that meant a part of me was still human. I found that to be ludicrous, no one can live as long as I have, done all I have done and still maintain humanity. Then she said the oddest thing. With her dying breath, she said she knew I was in love with her, and anyone capable of love was capable of being saved. I sat there with a sting in my eye at her words. I thought; could he really be saved? Am I truly not that far gone? But I couldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me crack, I told her she's hallucinating, but she was fading by then. I thought, I could let her die, she was right, and love is a weakness. I could let her die and no one could use her against him. She would never choose me, her friends wouldn't have it and she would never leave them. I could end this between us right there and then. But I called out to her and she didn't respond. I started to panic, eventually fear of losing her won out and I healed her. That moment I realized that I could never hurt her, not physically. This family has often been doomed to fall for unattainable people"

He heard nothing but his daughter's breathing.

_"She sounds like an insightful woman…how'd you let her slip through your fingers?"_

He smiled "It had to be her choice, and she would never leave her friends"

_"Those were the times you had personal growth right?" _

He chuckled "Yes it would appear so"

_"You're doing the right thing; just try to hurry it along okay?"_

"I'll do my very best"

_"And dad"_

"Yes sweetheart"

_"No more burning down historical arm museums okay?"_

He laughed at that.

* * *

**1 Month Later…**

**Los Angeles, California**

Klaus would much prefer she stayed in the States. He thinks that because he doesn't want what happened in Russia to happen again. It's still big news internationally that the second largest art museum on the planet was burnt down and no one remembers what happened. It was an anomaly they call it.

They've silently decided to ignore each other again. Klaus had no qualms with that, he's been doing it throughout this entire journey and he preferred it.

He had a plan in mind that might work to turn her emotions back on. He was going to use guilt against her. He just had to find the Bennett witch. Any old witch could do what wanted to be done but Bonnie was her friend. She would be more invested should things not go as planned.

He allowed her to go out and cause mayhem by herself. He had to because his brother was visiting him. He closed the school down just to come see him—gave the other teachers his reasons being to recruit.

When his brother arrived, he wasted no time.

"Have you made attempts to return Miss Forbes's emotions?" his brother asked while entering his room.

"Nice to see you too" Klaus mocked at the empty spot in front of him where his brother once stood.

Klaus then closed the door and they went to the sitting area. Elijah stood while Klaus took a seat rather comfortably on the sofa of his hotel room.

"I'm contemplating strategies" Klaus replied to his earlier question "I have one in mind, but to enact it I'll need the aid of a witch"

"You can call Freya easily enough" Elijah retorted.

"I could" Klaus agreed "But though capable she is, she won't have the impact that I want this particular witch to have"

Elijah seemed to be in thought for a while, until realization colored his eyes "Ms. Bennett"

They were silent for a moment before Elijah killed the silence.

"I must confess, until the tragic events that brought us here, I never knew of this…thing between you and Ms. Forbes"

Klaus tilted his head with a sigh. It was as if everyone just found out this huge secret about him and now everyone wanted to know more.

"When you came back from your escapade with the little doppelganger that could with the cure in tow, you decided to give it to our sister to fulfill her whim of being human. That night I was still very much in a mood, certainly no mood for company. Then I heard her calling for me. I ignored it, briefly wondered what atrocious thing I had done now that warranted her scolding on such a doomed day. She dismissed my woes to tell me Elena—_in her emotionless state—_stole her dress. I finally turned to face her, intrigued. I briefly thought Silas had decided to seek her out next. When she further explained what had happened. I laughed"

He laughed as if he was stuck in the moment.

"Here I am, waiting to be tormented by this being you resigned my fate to, and she blows into my house like a tornado to complain to me that Elena stole her prom dress. I forgot why I was even vexed in the first place. It was baffling how quickly she was able to lighten my mood without even trying. It was well within her vampire capabilities to find another dress, but now she wanted to get back at her by having a better one. I was almost actually invested in her dilemma"

He sat up and watched the amused small grin on his brother's face but he ignored it "She burned down the second largest art museum in the world"

Elijah's attention changed "Why did she burn it down?"

At the question, Klaus laughed "I told her once that I had a painting there hung up…"

"She did it to spite you" Elijah said in realization.

"She started killing everyone she could see or reach. I locked the doors and the windows to prevent others from leaving. I tried to reach as much people as possible so that when she could escape I would have to stay behind to clean up her mess. Then I heard the fire alarm and smelt the smoke. I couldn't save as much people as possible, keep the building intact and go after her at the same time, I chose to lessen her body count and find her" he explained.

He changed the topic to catch up with what his family had been doing in his absence. Klaus could tell Elijah was enjoying what he was doing. He always had an eye for educating others.

Suddenly—because Elijah could never leave well enough alone—he asked him about the turning point in his and Caroline's relationship.

He hesitated, because it was Elijah.

He sighed in surrender and he leaned forward.

"When Rebekah and I returned to Mystic Falls to witness the demise of that 500 year old thorn in my side—" he didn't look up to Elijah to see the twitch of his right eye "—I came across her in the woods. We had our little tit for tat. She suggested I leave the Petrova to die, I gave into her request in exchange for her confession" when he did look up and notice Elijah's confused eyes "Confession about her feelings for me. I gave her my word that I'll leave and never return in exchange for her honesty about me"

Klaus paused as he took himself back to that moment.

"I remember not expecting anything much. She came close to me and I stayed perfectly still. I dared not move. Then she kissed me…"

Klaus didn't even know he was grinning like a love sick fool, when he did, he quickly covered it up and stood "Needless to say, I returned to New Orleans in better spirits, you're capable of connecting the dots"

Klaus moved to walk out of the room but Elijah blurred in front of him—stopping him.

"Niklaus, a word of advice, enact your plan as soon as possible, waste no time. You might find it too late and she would have inflicted too much damage to revert to the woman you fell for. Learn from my mistake"

* * *

When Elijah left, he went in search for Caroline. He didn't have to look that hard. He compelled some people easily enough to follow her around and pretend as though they weren't. All he had to do was call them. A part of him had thought that perhaps she had figured it out, but luckily she didn't. He found her at a spa, compelling the workers. He sat in the waiting room.

Elijah was right. He should begin to put his plan in motion. But if he was being honest, he was waiting for the moment.

He was waiting for her to be ready to return to herself.

He knows that moment, he sees it all the vampires who abandon their emotions. Eventually, they'll start to long for something, being emotionless will start to sink in and they'll begin to want something. With Caroline, he expected that feeling to kick in much sooner. She's such an emotional creature to want to live without them for too long.

But while she's not killing people for no reason now, she's still feeding from people and compelling them. Caroline is not one to indulge in humans as such. He allowed her because she wasn't killing anyone and that is how vampires feed and hunt, but in the back of his mind he knew she would be upset with her for abusing others regardless. He just picked the lesser of two evils.

A couple of days passed and Bonnie got in contact with him. He had to smile at that, he knew all he had to do was tell Elijah what he wanted and he would find it…hence the reason why Klaus never bothered to look for her. He knew well enough Elijah would do it for him.

He sent his plans to Bonnie via text. The more he thought about the plan, the more he knew it would work. He was slowly coming to the realization that guilt is what triggered her to switch her emotions off in the first place.

That night, he had been lost in deep thought when his door flew open. He knew it was her. He didn't move an inch from his bed, he just waited till she rounded the corner and came to his room.

"Seriously, why aren't you trying to make me turn it back on?"

_There it was…_

_The moment…_

This was the moment, the moment he was waiting on. She looked frustrated, like she had been thinking too hard, but it was the moment. She wanted to come back; she wanted to be her old self again. The moment she ponders on the switch is the moment she wants it back, her emotions.

He smirked "I still have the letter you left me, clearly expressing your desire to stay just as you are"

"Then why are you following me around, really Klaus?" she folded her arms across her chest.

_She looks determined…she had indeed been thinking too hard._

"I like the view from behind" he grinned.

She scoffed "You made it clear you're not going to touch me till I turn it back on"

"Touch is a loose term…"

She scoffed.

He sat up from the bed, a lopsided grin on his face when she gawked at his naked chest "Don't mistake me sweetheart, I like this version of you…sexy, reckless, fun…but part of your charm is the little sparkle of emotions that dance in your eyes, of which you no longer have…but it's only a matter of time and that's what I'm waiting on" his grin then dropped "I also find my punishment in watching you enjoying yourself and travelling"

She snorted at him "You should give up and leave me alone because I'm not going to change and since I'm not, you're not interested in me anymore"

He smiled "Sweetheart, understand this, I will always be interested and nothing will ever change that"

She scoffed "Good luck with that"

She turned sharply on her heel and exited his room, but he couldn't help himself.

"A glorious view from behind!" he shouted at her.

* * *

Tonight was the night he was going to enact his plan. Bonnie had just arrived.

Yesterday he called her daughters to talk to them and tell him of his plan and their part to play.

He went to her room and opened the door; she was feeding from a bellboy.

She got up and was about to say something—she really shouldn't considering she barged in his room not a couple of days ago—when she was flung back with an invisible force.

Bonnie came in the room and Caroline growled.

"Bonnie" she said in warning.

"Sorry Care" she said solemnly.

Caroline got up and flashed towards them but she hit an invisible wall instead. She kept trying to get through, but she couldn't.

"Bonnie, let me out please" she asked ever so sweetly.

"Turn it back on"

Caroline's eyes flashed and she growled.

"Let me out or I'll kill you when I do get out"

Bonnie then turned to Klaus who stood by her side "She's all yours…you better fix her or else"

He turns to her "If it doesn't work I just might let you"

Caroline threw her hands up in exasperation "I thought you weren't gonna turn me back?"

He turned back to her with a sad smirk "Turns out I do lie"

She scoffed.

"I'll be outside" Bonnie told him, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

When the door closed, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. He put it on loudspeaker and stood very close to the barrier. Caroline came towards him but the barrier kept her exactly where she was. She was a breath away from him but unable to touch him or reach him.

"While it rings, I'm giving you one more chance to turn your emotions back on or else I'll call the wonder twins and tell them where you've really been and what you've been up to this whole time"

Her eyes widened "You wouldn't. You love me, you won't taint the image they have of their beloved mother and risk my wrath"

Before he could tell her he would, the phone picked up _"Hello?"_

The sound of the little girl's voice made Caroline look to the phone as if it was the eighth wonder of the world.

"This is Klaus, is your sister with you?" asked her, while staring at Caroline.

_There was shuffling in the background and then he heard the other girl's voice telling him she's there._

Caroline tried to school her features but he could tell it was slowly getting to her.

"Good, listen up. When I told you that your mother needed time to grieve…" she made eye contact with him, warning him to keep his mouth shut "I lied" her eyes widened a bit before she schooled her features once more "When I found her, she fed off a man and killed him"

"Stop" she snarled.

"She turned her emotions off" he kept going.

She frowned and glared at him in warning but he ignored it. He told the girls everything, all the things she did in Russia, every single detail. Caroline screamed at him to stop, she pounded at the invisible wall for him to stop, she fought it valiantly, she did, but he saw the moment she cracked. She cracked when she heard someone sniffle from the phone. Her eyes watered and a tear fell down her cheek.

_Her emotions were back._

She screamed at him.

**_"How could you do that to them…!"_**

**_"You should've just stopped!"_**

**_"You should've left me alone!"_**

**_"You should've stop!"_**

**_"I killed him, I killed Alaric!"_**

**_"I killed their father!"_**

She was a sobbing mess, she kept crying out how she killed their father and that they'll never forgive her.

"Why'd you make them hate me even more?" she yelled through her sobs, she clutched her chest as the agonizing pain took her over once more.

He told the girls he would call them when he arrives back in Mystic Falls with their mother in tow before hanging up. He flashed through the barrier and grabbed her. She fought him at first; he knew she would blame him for her returned emotions. Eventually her fight weakened and she just cried. He allowed her to cry for a moment before he grabbed her head with both his hands and snapped her neck.

He called Bonnie back into the room.

"Did it work?" she asked, looking at her friend and Klaus.

He nodded and placed Caroline securely in his arms before standing "I have a jet on standby waiting to take us back to Mystic Falls, I want to get her on the plane and in the air as quick as possible"

He didn't notice that Bonnie had something in her hand but when she put her hand out to take down the barrier and then showed him the syringe she had in her other hand, he looked to her in confusion.

"It's vervain. It should keep her weak for some hours after she wakes up"

He took it and injected her with it quickly. Perhaps most of it will keep her unconscious until he made it to the plane.

"Will you be joining us?"

She shook her head "Caroline will find me when she's ready"

* * *

When Caroline woke, she found herself strapped to a seat. It was a plane.

She looked around frantically, trying to recall her last moments before everything went dark.

She was with Klaus…

She looked around "Klaus?"

In a flash, someone was sitting next to her, it was him "How you feeling love?"

She groaned and slumped back in her seat "Tired" she paused "And weak"

He smiled sadly "Apologies love, I had to inject you with vervain to keep you from running"

She turned and sat up immediately "Klaus, why are we in a plane?"

"We're going home"

Her eyes grew wide and she began to panic "No, Klaus, I can't—I—No you can't—"

When she saw how frantic she got and the fresh set of tears welling in her eyes, he grabbed her head with both hands and forced her to look at him "Caroline, look at me"

She looked at him, breathing heavily.

"Everything is going to be okay"

Then he snapped her neck. He had to. She was struggling with her emotions; she could easily turn it back off again"

* * *

She woke up with a gasp; she was in a bed, a very soft bed. She was in a warm looking room. The room smelt familiar.

Suddenly she was tackled. She looked down, it was Josie and Lizzie.

"Mom, are you really back?" Josie asked, her eyes shining with hope.

"Yea mom, are you?" Lizzie also asked, looking at her with the same glitter.

Caroline's mouth slowly formed into a smile and she nodded with tears in her eyes "You guys want me back? After everything Klaus told you?"

The girls looked at each other then looked back at her. Lizzie spoke first "Mom, when Klaus—Mr. Mikealson was in Las Vegas, we kinda—sorta overheard Mr. Elijah talk to him about where he was staying and what room he was staying in and we decided to go and find out what really happened to you—"

Lizzie continued on"—and he told us the truth. And he said it was dangerous for us to try to help him so we went back home and then a couple of days ago he called us and told us everything. We were so upset but he told us that the person who did all those things is not our mom"

Caroline let out a sound between a sob and a laugh "You guys snuck off to Las Vegas by yourselves?"

They both shirked away slightly from her as they realized what they confessed to.

Caroline leaned forward and grabbed them and hugged them "Don't worry, I'll ground you later, right now I just wanna hug my girls"

The girls spent that morning and afternoon telling her about everything that happened when she was gone. The funeral that they had for Alaric, the Mikaelson's taking over the school and Elijah being headmaster. The girls thought he was going to be cold but he was really nice and he let them do stuff that they weren't allowed to do and the girls liked him.

"Mr. Elijah told me to tell you not to worry about the school until you're okay" Josie recited to her.

"Oh, and Mr. Klaus said we can have the mansion to ourselves for as long as we want…this place is so big" Lizzie marveled.

Caroline let out a laugh at that…this place was big.

She stayed in bed with the girls as they reminisced about Alaric and the good memories they had about him.

That afternoon after they found every stitch of junk food they could find, they began to ask her about Klaus and her…situation with him. The girls told him that he told her about a story on how they first met; she couldn't believe he would even tell them he was indirectly responsible for it. They said he sounded so in love, she couldn't help the blush that colored her cheeks at that. Josie told her that she had called him to find out if he fixed her and instead he had told her about the story of the Mikealson ball. She had found the dress and Josie immediately placed claim on it for when she got older. Caroline told her that he could share it. They even asked if she would wear it one day so they can see what she looked like back then. She made a mental note to try to recreate her entire look from that night for them.

"Klaus is…a thousand years old—well he's like maybe a thousand and fifty now maybe—and he was the villain, the big bad wolf that came to town hell bent on breaking his curse and using my friends to do it. Then he saved me and I saw something more. Then the Mikealson ball happened and I was still weirded out that he asked me to go with him and his fascination with me but it's like he grew up in a cave and didn't know how to act like a person back then. Then he saved my life again. Then he died—supposedly because after I found out he didn't really die—and then he saved me again. He wanted to know my hopes and my dreams, he wanted to take me places…then he bit me—and werewolf bites are fatal to vampires in case you didn't learn that yet in school—but I knew I wasn't going to die, because he's the cure to a werewolf bite and even if he didn't know it, I knew he wouldn't let me die..It was close but he saved me and even after my friends killed his brother, I think he didn't seek out revenge for me. And on graduation day from Mystic Falls High, Damon—yes the Damon Salvatore—got bitten by a werewolf and I called him to save his life. And at the time I was in some trouble and he came just in the Nik of time to save me yet again. I remember that night he indirectly confessed to being in love with me and I kept thinking…this man has live to see so much things. He's probably been prettier woman and he chooses me. I loved Elena but, she was the chosen one. Everyone rallied to save her and be with her and I was never the one. Then he came in my life and he's always saving my life, doing things for me, and curbing his murderous tendencies for me…"

"You love him" Lizzie cooed.

Caroline laughed with a blush "Seriously, that's so high school"

"We live in a school mom" Josie corrected her "Might as well be a high school"

"When we was in Las Vegas, he promised—" Lizzie stopped her

"He pledged to us that he would bring you back and he did"

She laughed "He has a habit of keeping his word" _even when he does break them_

* * *

Some days later, Caroline decided to call Klaus. After she sent the children back to school, she used the days she had to curl in a corner and cry till she couldn't cry no more. While Caroline put up a front for the girls, she was still mourning the lives she took while she was emotionless. The people she tried to kill but Klaus saved, the people she hurt and killed in the art museum…burning down a fricking historical landmark. The way she used a very key moment between her and Klaus against him so he could sleep with her ugh she felt so embarrassed by that. She wanted him to kill the guy and take her in the woods as some protective alpha wolf thing, but he saw right through her.

Today she was able to compose herself, so she decided to call him over.

When he arrived and she invited him to have a seat—on his couch—she took a seat next to him.

When he turned to her with a smile, she found herself lost for words.

He suddenly leaned back "While I'm perfectly content with just sitting here and staring at you, I'm sure you called me for more than being your personal eye candy"

She blushed and looked down for a moment before looking back at him.

"When I found out that you really intended to kill yourself to save Hope, I was shocked" she saw the look on his face and she shook her head "Not at the fact that you wouldn't sacrifice your life for her, but the Klaus I knew wouldn't give up so easily and you resigned yourself to die for her and it was such growth from the last I saw you till that moment. You had completely changed and you were being a way better father than Mikael. I couldn't tell you not to die for her, if I was in your position I'd sign up for death too"

She took a pause before continuing.

"We've had moments, since Paris where we almost fell back into that day in the woods—_seriously,_ _yes I was aware of them_" they both laughed lightly at her words "But when I found out you were planning on dying, I just couldn't. It wouldn't feel like a goodbye kiss, It would feel like I'm losing something I've always wanted but never knew I wanted till that moment, and you were going to die, I didn't want to put myself in that position…and then you kissed me" she saw when his smile died away, he grew serious "I almost collapsed in pain when I left you to watch Hope dance. It wrecked me. I always woke up in the morning and went to sleep at night somehow with the peace of mind that one day you would show up and you and I would be each other's last love" she let out a laugh "Yes it sounds cheesy but way in the back of my mind I knew that and the thought of you dying, the thought of losing you…I went to Freya—the new sister—and she told me there's nothing she could think of to save you. Then Elijah came out of nowhere. He just asked me if I cared about you. When I told him I did, he decided he would die in your place. The selfish part of me was glad, but the other part of me knew how you felt about him, and losing him would wreck you. I thought for a moment, how I could make him feel the same way I'm feeling by taking his brother from him. Elijah said that you would be fine with me by your side. I still had reservations about going through with the plan but everything happened so fast, but the point is, I didn't want to lose you. I guess my world felt safer knowing that you'd just pop up and save me; because you're always saving me and choosing me. I—I just—"

She paused and took a deep breath "When you were last in Mystic Falls, I asked you to leave and never come back" she grabbed his hand and she saw as his stoic expression cracked as he took in a sharp breath at her touch "Now I'm asking you to stay"

The smile he blessed her with made her heart soar.

* * *

**I hope you liked it! Please review, they make me smile and inspire me to write more!**

**-Cindy**


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